MCSCPM -Chapter 80 Hitting a Bottleneck

When the first rays of morning sunlight streamed into the room, Yin Qingyue was still sorting through the herbs she had prepared the previous night.

The effect of Xianglan (Fragrant Orchid) had been excellent; the entire night had been spent on this single herb. She had ground the flowers into powder, extracted the juices from the stems, and prepared several other herbs—all personally handled by her.

Yet, during this process, she seemed to have encountered some difficulties.

Two of the herbs were originally mutually supportive and antagonistic. When combined correctly, they could balance each other’s toxicity, neutralizing the harmful effects.

Yin Qingyue was about to return to the bamboo grove she had visited yesterday when she ran into Nangong Mei.

“Qingyue,” Nangong Mei greeted warmly, smiling as she approached.

“Your Highness Princess Mei’er,” Yin Qingyue bowed slightly.

“Qingyue, rise. No need to be so formal with me,” Nangong Mei said gently, her eyes shining.

“Thank you, Princess Mei’er. Judging by your rosy complexion, I take it something delightful has happened?” Yin Qingyue smiled knowingly, instantly reading Nangong Mei’s thoughts.

“Nothing much… I just saw someone,” Nangong Mei replied, her face flushing slightly, shy.

“Must be your crush, then,” Yin Qingyue teased with a small smile.

Nangong Mei blushed even deeper, flustered. “Qingyue! That’s not true!”

“Oh, the thoughts of a young lady—so difficult to read! Don’t hide it from me, Princess Mei’er. Who is the lucky man to have your favor?” Yin Qingyue said, turning as if to leave.

“Wait, Qingyue, don’t go! I—I’ll tell you,” Nangong Mei said, her face crimson, resembling the color of Xianglan flowers.

“All right, I won’t tease you. I have some business to attend to, so I’ll be going,” Yin Qingyue said. Though Nangong Mei was the daughter of Consort Sun, her intentions weren’t entirely malicious, and Yin Qingyue felt some kinship toward her.

“What’s the matter? Why are you in such a hurry?” Nangong Mei asked. She had already heard about the Empress being poisoned, and that even the palace physicians were helpless. That was why Yin Qingyue had been summoned to the palace again.

“Princess Mei’er, I haven’t found the antidote yet. I need to gather more medicinal herbs in the palace,” Yin Qingyue explained directly, hoping to gain some assistance from someone knowledgeable in medicine.

“If there’s anything I can help with, please tell me,” Nangong Mei said sincerely, clearly willing to assist.

“Thank you, Princess Mei’er,” Yin Qingyue said with a smile, taking her hand and leading her directly into the bamboo grove.

“Princess, we don’t know what toxins might be in the grove. Please be careful,” the maids accompanying Nangong Mei called out.

“Stay behind. Even if you get hurt, it doesn’t matter—Qingyue is here,” Nangong Mei replied with a gentle smile, pulling Yin Qingyue along.

The bamboo grove looked different from yesterday; several bamboo stalks were clearly broken.

Yin Qingyue noticed this and suspected someone was tampering with the place, halting her steps, which caught Nangong Mei’s attention.

“What is it, Qingyue?” Nangong Mei asked, noticing her suspicious gaze. But there seemed to be nothing unusual beyond the broken bamboo.

“Nothing, Princess Mei’er. Just stay alert,” Yin Qingyue quickly concealed her suspicion and continued forward.

The bamboo grove was damp, filled with unknown plants, some of which could easily cause injury if handled carelessly. The two of them moved slowly, taking much more time than Yin Qingyue had yesterday on her own.

However, all the plants around the Xianglan flowers she had collected yesterday had withered.

“What is this?” Nangong Mei picked up the withered plants from the soil and sniffed them curiously, a strange expression on her face.

“Who would plant such things here?” She handed the herbs to Yin Qingyue.

Nangong Mei’s judgment was correct—the herb in Yin Qingyue’s hand was highly toxic. Its root system could affect the roots of other herbs, causing normally harmless plants to become poisonous.

Yesterday, Yin Qingyue had overlooked this fact.

“I see now,” Yin Qingyue murmured. This explained the problem that had troubled her all night. The petals of the Xianglan flowers she ground yesterday had never fully released their medicinal effects, not even their unique fragrance. Xianglan was rare, and she feared that she might have wasted such a precious herb.

“What’s wrong, Qingyue?” Nangong Mei asked, puzzled.

“Princess Mei’er, I must return. The antidote for the Empress still needs my attention. But now, I believe I have a solution,” Yin Qingyue said, taking her hand and hastening out.

“All right,” Nangong Mei said warmly.

Back in her room, a bitter aroma filled the air. Yin Qingyue quickly extinguished the fire used to boil the previous herbs.

The Xianglan had been overcooked, altering its flavor; it no longer smelled fragrant, only bitter like the common bitter herbs.

Yin Qingyue glanced at the herbs on the table, raising her brows unconsciously. She threw in some bitter herbs, plus cassia seeds and borneol, intending to see if this combination could neutralize the Xianglan’s toxicity.

Much like the “Duan Chang Cao” described in ancient texts, which caused unbearable pain but could be extremely effective if used correctly, she now hoped these herbs could balance out the toxicity.

“Miss Yin,” a woman’s voice called from outside.

“Just leave the items outside. I’ll take care of them,” Yin Qingyue replied, looking at the figure lingering at the doorway before returning to her work.

These past few days, she had locked herself away, refusing anyone entry, even to deliver food.

“Miss Yin, I’ll leave it outside then,” said the maid, taking away the untouched morning meal.

The bitter aroma in the room intensified, filling Yin Qingyue’s mouth as well; only these bitter herbs could calm her mind.

At Weiyang Palace, He Minmin, in a pale yellow palace gown, sat elegantly, sipping tea and occasionally having the maids refill her cup.

“Has that divine physician made any progress with the antidote?” she asked, setting her cup down.

“According to Your Highness, Xiao Xiao saw the physician near the bamboo grove and also saw her negotiating with Princess Nangong Mei—probably regarding medicinal herbs,” said Nangong Xiao Xiao, timidly avoiding her mother’s gaze, though inwardly frustrated that a princess had to act like a servant.

“And if the physician fails to produce the antidote, what do you propose?” He Minmin asked, lifting her cup.

“If she fails, we can help her and keep her under our control,” Xiao Xiao replied, aware of her mother’s intentions.

“Heh, finally some understanding,” He Minmin said, expressionless, still holding her cup.

“Do you realize how much effort your mother has spent raising you?” He Minmin asked, holding Xiao Xiao’s hand.

“Your Majesty, I know. Since my birth mother passed, you have raised me entirely. I can never repay your kindness, only wish for your health,” Xiao Xiao said.

Since being poisoned, He Minmin had remained in her chambers. Today, she had managed to sit up, though her complexion was pale.

“Cough… cough…” she began to cough violently. Xiao Xiao patted her back, offering comfort, a brief glimmer of pride flashing across her face before she hid it.

“All right, you may go. I must rest,” He Minmin said, her expression grim. She only hoped the divine physician would soon prepare the antidote and save her from her peril.

“Immediately, Your Majesty. Take care of yourself,” Xiao Xiao replied, bowing and leaving.

Once outside, her sorrowful expression vanished, replaced with another demeanor.

Meanwhile, Yin Qingyue frowned over her boiling herbs. Almost all of them had released their medicinal properties, yet the bitter taste of the Xianglan remained.

“No wonder the ancient texts offered no method to neutralize zhendu poison… even Xianglan is formidable,” she sighed. She had spent several days in this room without results, so close to a breakthrough, yet encountering this setback.

Her stomach growled; she had gone a long time without eating. Seizing the quiet outside, she opened the door to bring in her meal.

As she was about to eat, a voice called from outside:

“Miss Yin, I’ve brought your meal.”

“Leave it outside. I’ll take it,” Yin Qingyue said. The previous meal had been removed, and a fresh one delivered under the Crown Prince’s orders.

“Thank you.” She handed the empty bowl back to the maid.

“Ah, it smells awful!” the maid exclaimed, covering her nose and retreating quickly—the medicinal aroma in the room was overwhelming.

“I don’t understand why the Crown Prince cares so much about this ugly girl and even allows such a strange smell,” the maid grumbled, unaware that Yin Qingyue had already seen her thoughts.

“Heh,” Yin Qingyue smiled brightly. “This girl is really innocent!”

The door closed again, the bitter scent lingering, but Yin Qingyue was unaffected. Years of handling herbs had accustomed her to it.